Client Success
Case Study:
Axios HQ Rising Leaders Master High-Stakes Communication
“I keep getting told I need to lead more strategically, but what does that actually look like?”
Axios HQ wanted to develop its rising leaders by strengthening their strategic thinking, executive presence, and communication. Leaders struggled with managing up, delegating effectively, and navigating high-stakes conversations, leaving them feeling uncertain about their influence.
They needed a customized leadership development program that would equip them with the confidence and skills to lead at the next level.
Over four months, we led a tailored group coaching program that:
Strengthened leadership confidence, helping participants define their unique leadership style.
Improved strategic decision-making, equipping leaders with tools to delegate, manage up, and advocate for role expansion.
Provided hands-on practice for navigating high-stakes conversations with clarity and impact.
Results
Increased leadership confidence and executive presence.
Stronger decision-making and ability to advocate for role growth.
Immediate impact—multiple participants successfully escalated and advocated for organizational improvements.
“I can see a tangible impact—this program has already made a big difference.”
— Jordan | Chief Operating Officer Axios HQ
Case Study:
GlobalGiving Builds a Shared Language for Leadership
-
A cohort of 12 mid-level leaders at GlobalGiving — a global nonprofit connecting donors with community-led organizations worldwide — arrived at the Exploration Leadership Accelerator at a genuinely hard moment. The sector was demanding more than ever: tighter bandwidth, higher stakes, and the particular tension of living in the “messy middle” between executive strategy and frontline teams.
Their goals were varied but interconnected — delegating more effectively, navigating ambiguity, communicating upward, and holding onto strategic thinking when daily pressures pulled them into the weeds. What many hadn’t yet named: they were doing this largely alone, without a shared language for the experience of leading at GlobalGiving.
-
The cohort moved through the Exploration Leadership Accelerator — a combination of group coaching sessions and individual 1:1 coaching built around the HABIT framework (Humility, Aspiration, Bravery, Inquiry, and Transformation). The design was intentional: group work built context, connection, and the relief of shared recognition; individual sessions created space to go deeper on what each person was actually navigating.
Because the cohort came from the same organisation, the group dynamic carried an added dimension — participants could name challenges specific to their shared workplace, develop a common vocabulary, and build the kind of trust that outlasts any single program.
-
Across 10 participants who completed both the preliminary and closing surveys, average competency confidence rose steadily throughout the program. Nine out of ten participants improved their overall scores.
Transformation: Long-term Goals showed the single biggest shift — at the start, no participant rated themselves “Quite” confident or higher; by close, 7 out of 10 did. Every participant improved on this dimension.
Aspiration: Reframing Challenges jumped from 5/10 to 9/10 rating “Quite” or higher.
Bravery, Inquiry, and Transformation: Use Feedback all moved from 4–6 out of 10 to 8 out of 10 rating “Quite” or higher.
100% of closing survey respondents rated Instructor Effectiveness a 5 out of 5.
All participants said they would recommend the program to other leaders.
-
“Maura is exactly the person you want in your corner when it comes to expanding what is possible as a leader. In a world of immense uncertainty, she has an innate ability to bring focus, calm, and intentionality — I am walking away feeling like I have about 100 new tools in my toolbelt.”
— Associate Director, Global Grantmaking
“The Exploration Leadership Accelerator single-handedly changed the way I think about leadership. Maura’s superpower is getting to the root of the problem and identifying solutions that are both easy to understand and easy to implement.”
— Associate Director, Community Engagement
“Participating alongside my colleagues helped us build stronger relationships and develop a shared language for addressing challenges together. I’m leaving not only more confident, but better equipped to be a thoughtful, effective leader.”
— Director, Global Grantmaking & Strategic Programs
Client Experience
Maggie Leahy, Director of Global Grant Making and Strategic Programs at Global Giving
Emily James speaks on Exploration Leadership
Name? Do we want to keep this vertical one?
Is there another video we can add here to keep it even?
What Clients Are Saying
“I believe I made incredible professional progress during my time working with Maura. I have a more clear sense of myself – my values, my emotions, my stories – and I am able to articulate and live more in control of the person I want to be. I felt very seen and heard during each of our sessions. I found the experience with her to be incredibly life-affirming and an unparalleled development experience.”
— R.W.
"Working with Maura as a coach is a privilege. Her approach is helping me think not just what my goals are, but more importantly, how to connect them to my value system, mission and purpose as a human being. Every time I walk into a coaching session with Maura is an opportunity for me to be challenged with powerful questions rather than answers and that makes my coaching process more insightful and meaningful."
— A.M.
“Maura really turned our business around when we started working with her. She made us take a hard look at who we were and where we were trying to go, which gave us direction, confidence, and a sense of rejuvenation. It honestly launched everything we’ve taken on and been able to accomplish since. Her coaching helped us reset, refocus, and move forward with clarity and momentum we hadn’t felt in a long time. We’re genuinely grateful for the experience and everything it’s helped unlock for us.